Happiness
by Festus Flare
Summary: Lisbeth was the kind of person who would sacrifice her own happiness, as long as her friends and loved ones were happy as well. As time moves on, her loyalty and love never wavers as she sticks to her moral code. Who knows? Maybe after going through all the sadness, she might find that single beautiful ray of light and joy she had always dreamed of having. One-shot. Slight AU.


Looking at Kirito, sitting all by himself on the bench that was visible from my place in the cafeteria, I couldn't help but frown. He was supposed to be happy, especially after becoming Asuna's lover. But looking at him now, I swear I could also feel his pain. I forcefully continue to suck at my straw, trying to get the remainder of my strawberry yogurt drink at the floor of the carton. The loud slurping noise was very unladylike which caused Ayano Keiko, seated across the table, to frown.

"Geez, Liz... Rika-san, please drink a little more quietly."

"But that... ah-, that Kirito..."

I couldn't finish that sentence, and I was sure that Keiko – No, Silica was in the same boat as me. We both met in the death game; Sword Art Online, when Kirito introduced her to me. It was at that moment that we both knew that we were love rivals, struggling to gain Kirito's affections. Sadly enough, we were both fully aware of the relationship between him and Asuna. In the end, we both became warriors of love, fighting for Kirito's unrequited love.

A small chuckle escaped my lips as I thought about that. It was funny, really. Most people would give up as soon as they found out that the person they loved was already in a relationship. But not us, not with Kirito. For some odd reason, we didn't want to lose him, sort of like a strange man was writing down our own personal lives, forcing us to continue loving and loving the boy as a sort of evil joke.

"Ano~ Liz… Rika-san?" Silica continued again.

"You know, if you want to call me Liz, I wouldn't mind"

"B-But isn't that a breach of manners to use character names out here?" Silica stuttered, making me chuckle again. She was just so cute and innocent like that.

"Don't worry, I don't mind" I said as I waved her off "We're friends, eh? The least we could do is call each other what actually sounds nice to the other person. Isn't that right, Silica?"

Silica looked as if she was about to stutter again, but she soon recovered and stared blankly at her half-eaten lunch. I felt sorry for her in a lot of ways. When she was forced to enter SAO, she was only 12 years old. Not only was she forced to mature very quickly in order to survive in that world, but she also didn't get to learn many things about the real world. That was why, most of the time, I had to refrain from telling her all the erotic things I sometimes dream of doing with Kirito. I almost died when she asked me what would happen if she turned off Ethics Mode!

"So… Liz…" Silica finally said timidly "What do you think we should do?"

She didn't tell me what it was about, but I had a hunch I knew what it was. Kirito, of course. Even if he didn't accept our love, or in my case, never even got the chance to love me before I forcefully flung him over to Asuna, he was still our friend. Seeing him like that, moping around and not even eating right despite all of us having lost so much weight and nutrition during our two years of inactivity, it was depressing.

I could no longer stand to see him like that. Forcefully getting up, pushing the chair I was sitting on away as far as possible, I looked Silica dead on.

"I don't know about you, but I want to talk with him" I told her my resolution "He's having a bad time, and we're just sitting here talking behind his back. He needs friends now, he needs comfort. I just can't stand watching him sad like this anymore!"

Hard-headed Lisbeth, Loyal Lisbeth; that was me. I was the type of person who was so headstrong and determined that people trusted me with their weapons and armour, sometimes even their secrets and stats. Not to mention, my undying loyalty was something everyone constantly spoke of. I was the kind of person who would sacrifice my own time and energy to make sure that my friends were happy. I know I had to do this before it sticks into my conscience.

I saw Silica smile at me, nodding at my resolve. Sweet little Silica, so innocent and kind to everyone. Sometimes, it was hard to actually grasp that she was once the proud Dragon Tamer back in SAO. I gave her a thumbs up gesture and walked away to go find my dearest friend, Kirito.

Going to the place where Kirito sat was a problem to most people, since they had to take the long way past the many bushes that lined the path. Not for me, though. Another thing people knew about me was my tendency to not care much about the rules and taking quick shortcuts to my destinations. Hell, the school cafeteria still had a rule saying "No Jumping Over The Counter" thanks to me.

Hey, that line was too long, okay?

In other words, I simply jumped over all the bushes, causing quite a ruckus and destroying most of it along the way. It didn't matter, though. I could always put the blame on my "weak legs" that were still in "rehabilitation". Well, I hope they'll let me use that excuse again, anyway. Probably not, not since I knocked this rude girl into the swimming pool after she dared to insult Silica in front of me.

"Yo! Kirito~!" I shouted when I saw him up ahead, running the rest of the way to him "What's with that gloomy expression, Kirito?"

"Liz…" he said, looking upwards at me with a faint smile "It's… nothing, really. Well, nothing you could help me with, anyway…"

My cheerful demeanour was instantly shattered as I heard his tone. It was the tone of someone who had given up, someone who no longer wished to see tomorrow. That was the same melancholic tone that I had when I was first trapped in SAO. I tried to smile again and sat next to Kirito, although I gave him ample amount of space to ease his tension.

"It's not like you to be this sad over something" I said softly "And I don't like seeing you so gloomy. Do you want to talk about it?"

Kirito was silent, and I could see that he constantly looked at the ground as he twiddled his fingers. This made me feel even more depressed than I already was. Did he not consider me a loyal enough friend to actually tell me about his pain? No, I know that he respected me as a very close friend. If not, he wouldn't have originally entrusted the secret of his Dual Blades ability to me.

"You know, Kirito" I said, knowing that I would never get a response from him "Whenever I'm feeling down, I usually sing about my feelings"

"You? Sing?" Kirito asked with a questionable expression "No way, I never heard you sing before"

"Well, I wasn't going to sing with people around!"

Kirito's frown wavered, forming into a brief smile. I had to grin widely at that, knowing that I was starting to get to him. My intention was not to sweep him off his feet, but rather to calm down his troubled mind. I didn't want to impose on Kirito, after all.

"I don't really have a good singing voice" I admitted "That's why I couldn't sing in front of people. But whenever I'm alone and sad, I would usually sing to myself. It was something my mom told me a long time ago when I was just a kid. 'Sing you heart's desires, and the world will sing with you'. It didn't make much sense, but I held onto it, anyway"

I know Kirito didn't care about my own personal life, but I felt like maybe it would cheer him up. After all, I had no idea what was worrying him so much. Obviously, it had something to do with Asuna, seeing as the second half of the lovely duo wasn't here. But what it was exactly, I didn't know. I just wish he would open up enough to tell me.

"I could sing you a song, if you want" I said with a smile, hoping that he would agree

"With your singing talents? Sorry, I'm worried I'd be deaf by the time you're done" Kirito joked, finally looking up to see my face

"Oi oi oi, What are you doing, making assumptions already?" I chided

"But you said that you don't have a good singing voice"

"It doesn't mean I sound like a dying cat!"

Kirito made a slight chuckle as our skit continued on, and my grin broadened. For the past few days, whenever I met Kirito, he was always down and gloomy. Sure, I didn't want to involve myself much since it had to be something related to Asuna, but it's gone on for far too long. It was nice to know that Kirito could still smile like he used to, even if it was a little half-hearted.

"So, that song" I finally said after the laughter ended "I wouldn't mind singing it for you, you know, Kirito"

"Don't you know that it's a breach of manners to use character names out here, Liz?"

"Speak for yourself" I laughed again, and Kirito's smile widened a bit more

"That would be nice…" he said quietly with a dreamy expression on his face

"Ano…?"

"Your singing. I wouldn't mind to hear it, Liz"

I looked at him with a wide smile, seeing that he was finally getting better from whatever it was that plagued his thoughts. It was true, I didn't actually sing too good. Out of all the songs I like to sing, my favourite would be Yume Sekai; Dream World. It was soft and calming, though I swear the singer sounded a whole lot like Asuna. But Kirito was finally smiling again, not being the silent cool type anymore. I couldn't pass this chance!

I closed my eyes and imagined the instruments playing in the background. I realised that I was humming and moving my head, but I didn't care about stopping. I love Kirito, but he loved another. If this is as close as we could get, then I wouldn't mind looking like a fool in front of him. Finally, I started singing.

_Tooku ni kikoeta kane no oto ga sukoshi sabishikute _

_**(The sound of the bell I heard faraway was a bit lonely)**__  
Mou ichido tsuyoku kondo wa takaku kake nuketa_

_**(And made me a bit stronger, and this time I jump up higher)**_

_Tada kuri kaesu genjitsu mo hoshi no kazu no negai koto mo _

_**(That reality that just repeats and the countless wishes on stars)**__  
Mezasu beki asu wo mitsuketa Kono omoi ni wa Katenai_

_**(Cannot win against these feelings that I should aim for the tomorrow I found)**_

_Me no mae ni hirakareta hate nai sekai Tatoe yume demo ii _

_**(It doesn't matter if this world that opened in front of me is just a dream )**__  
Mayoi tsuzukete mo mune no oku de tsuyoku zutto zutto hibiiteku_

_**(Even if I continue to wander, it will echo strongly and deep in my heart, forever and ever)**_

_Sotto sotto hikatteru..._

_**(Softly, softly shining...)**_

I stopped singing, realising that I didn't know how the rest of the song went. Still, I managed to stop myself from blushing from embarrassment. This was the first time I had ever sung in front of anyone, not even my parents have heard my slightly annoying singing voice. But with Kirito, it felt nice. Very nice indeed.

The reason I chose that song was because it sort of reflected how I was feeling right now. Ever since I met Kirito, I was always dreaming about a world where I had manned up and confessed to Kirito. Sometimes, it was sweet and lovable. Others, it was gloomy and depressing. But they were all still my dreams. I would wake up in the morning with tears in my eyes, tears I would wipe away the second a customer would enter my shop.

No, I can't look weak. If anything, I had to be the strong one. When I was young, my parents told me that one day, if I ever find true love, then I would be willing to do anything for them. That included throwing away my own happiness for him. I had done just that. I threw away my happiness with Kirito so he could be with Asuna, knowing that they would have been happier together than if Kirito was with me. After all, who would want common old me?

I was a blacksmith with a level that was usually enough to find materials without the need to continuously drink potions or escaping death. I was like all those other blacksmiths, with the same random factor when trying to upgrade or craft a new weapon. There was absolutely nothing special about me at all.

But Kirito was different. He was strong, fast, cool, not to mention a Beater. He could solo bosses while being on the verge of death and he was a hero as well, being the saviour of over 6000 people. He has many girls swooning over him, and I heard that his own sister (no, wait, cousin) was in love with him. Just what was I compared to him?

"Liz" Kirito said, breaking me out of my daydream "You were right, you don't have the best singing voice around"

What?

"But it's not that bad either" he looked at me in the eyes and I could see just how sincere he was saying this "Maybe, with a little bit of practice, you could get much better. Thank you, Lisbeth, for letting me hear you sing"

I could only smile and nod, since I was at a loss of what to say. Kirito was always known to say wonderful words of encouragement to the people he's around, but for some reason he rarely used them on me. We joked with each other, insulted each other, even screamed at each other. I never saw him talk so casually with other girls like that, and even if he did it wasn't occasional. Maybe the one time he did say some beautiful words of encouragement was the day I told him to go for Asuna, when he told me that he felt the warmth of my hand when we held hands the night before and was glad that I had lived.

Maybe, just maybe…

No, he did not see me that way. I was just a friend to him. Nothing more, nothing less.

"The reason for why I'm sad…" Kirito said again, looking down onto the ground once more "Well… have you… heard about the ALO incident?"

"ALO?" I asked myself, trying to remember all the newspaper articles I've read before "Oh! You mean ALfheim Online! Yes, 300 SAO players were captured by a man and was forced to undergo experiments to control their minds, right?"

"Mm" He nodded silently "Asuna… she was among those 300"

I stared at him again. Asuna? Captured? Well, that was a shock. That would also explain why she was never around whenever me and Silica came to visit her house. Every time, her parents or someone else would say that she was out, or undergoing rehabilitation, or even studying. Studying! So the real reason was because her mind was still trapped in a video game…

"I tried to save her" Kirito continued on "I entered the game and met my sister's avatar, Lyfa and Yui. We had one week to try and save her, that was what I was told. But a few days in, we had already lost. I failed the first time to get into the World Tree, and I had returned tomorrow with better armour and equipment with the help of Sakuya and Alicia Rue. But when I finally got in, it was already too late. Sugou... that bastard… he had already used the mind controlling experiment… on Asuna…"

I could feel tears falling down my cheeks as Kirito's words struck me one by one. All these people; Lyfa, Sakuya, Alicia Rue, I didn't know them and I bet they didn't even know Asuna. Still, they had attempted to help Kirito to save her. But here I was, her best friend from SAO, but it's the first time I even heard the story. And to know that Asuna was brainwashed… it was too much. I put my legs onto the bench and hugged my knees, hoping to stop the tears.

"I fought Sugou, but he overpowered me. He even had Asuna on his side!" Kirito didn't even try to act cool and calm now "They beat me up and attacked me, nothing I did was effective. But… in the end… I was saved, by someone I considered evil. Kayaba Akihiko appeared and gave me his admin privileges"

Here it comes again, Kirito telling me everything that was locked deep in his chest. Whenever something was weighing down his heart, Kirito would find condolences in me. He would tell me everything that worried him; His old guild that he had unintentionally left to die, the boy who had tried to kill him on his first mission, the day he received the title Beater. Everything. Whenever he did, I was there to bring him up. When he left, usually to go meet Asuna, I would cry. No, Kirito didn't deserve to go through all that pain, and I couldn't help but feel his pain as well.

"I managed to beat both of them after that, and Kayaba gave me the World Seed. But Asuna… she was lost. She was nothing like her old self. She became cold, and cruel. She kept saying how much she loved Sugou and how much of a piece of trash I was. They kept kissing in front of me…"

"Please, stop…"

I couldn't hold it anymore. Tears kept streaming down and the sadness he transmitted to me was too much. This was probably the second time Kirito saw me cry. No, this is the second time anyone saw me cry. I would never cry in front of people intentionally. I needed to be strong for them.

I could feel an arm wrap itself around my shoulders, and a head resting on them. Kirito, he was crying too. I was sure of it. I subconsciously looked at the cafeteria window that was viewable from here, the window where me and Silica would sit near and talk about our daily lives together. I swear I saw Silica there, smiling and giving me a thumbs up sign.

I guess we did look like a couple…

We stayed like that for a few minutes, just sitting there as we cried over the loss of a dear friend. Minutes passed and in the end, I gently pushed Kirito away from me and looked at his kind face.

"K-Kirito…" I said, trying to force a smile on my face "Do you remember – That day a long time ago? That time, when I told you that you should tell what you told me to Asuna? The day that we came back from that dragon nest and I made you the Dark Repulser?"

"Yeah, of course I do" he said

"I really meant it, you know, when I told you that the first true thing I felt in that world was the warmth of your hand. To this day, I still wish I could feel it again, but I guess that's just wishful thinking…"

"Oi, Liz-"

"I don't want to take advantage of you while you just lost Asuna, Kirito" I cut him off, knowing that whatever was about to come out of Kirito's mouth would ache my heart even more "I know that to you, I'm just a close friend. I'm that person you could turn to when you're sad, when you have nowhere else to go. I know that, and I don't want to force you to change it"

I was practically releasing all of my emotions right now. I don't know why I had to tell him now, but it just felt… right.

"To this day, Kirito, you're still my first love. I would never have it any other way, though. You could love other people, you could get married, you could have kids, and I'll still be happy. Because loving someone means that they would be willing to do anything for them. That included throwing away their own happiness for that person"

I know that, in a way, Kirito must be feeling guilty. Guilty for the pain he had caused me, guilty for not looking at me close enough, guilty for acting so lovey-dovey with Asuna. No, I couldn't have that. He didn't need to feel guilty for me.

"Ne, Kirito. You don't have to feel bad. Really, I'm fine. Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll get to see Asuna again and you could start again with her. Just know that I'll always support you two, okay?"

"Mm" was all Kirito said, though I bet that he had so much more to say to me.

I got up and bid farewell to Kirito, knowing that things would have been far worse if I did stay there. I ran to the toilet and hid in one of the stalls, silently crying as I through about the events that I had just gone through. The worst must have been when I found out about Asuna. Asuna… You had so much to live for, Asuna. I hope that we could get her back one day…

When class ended that day, I declined Silica's invitation to go to Dicey Café for the Offline Meeting. You know, it's sort of funny how my current best friend is three years younger than me. I took a train to anywhere, anywhere at all. I don't really care, as long as it's somewhere that I could finally ease my troubled mind. That place turned out to be somewhere in Tokyo District. Since I've never been there before, I sat down on a bench by the park and tried to relax.

It was a while and I had finally begun to clear my mind when I realised that all the while, there was a girl sitting beside me. She was pretty, very pretty. Her short black hair was combed neatly and her bespectacled face looked cute. Her slim and flat body might have earned some insults, but on her it did look quite nice. The only thing missing, though, was a smile.

"Ah! Sorry, never realised you were there" I said with some hand gestures

"S'okay" the girl murmured to herself

"Hey…" I looked at her again. She looked like she was troubled, and I couldn't help but feel bad looking at her like this "Are you okay? I know you don't know me, but you just look… sad…"

"Nothing…" she said quietly again

"You know, it's not good to bottle up your emotions" I said as I gazed up into the sky "I had to learn it the hard way, and I'm still learning it till this day"

The girl looked at me with a confused expression, probably confused as to why a stranger of all people was talking to her. Hey, I couldn't help it. People always said that I had a way with people, which helped me a lot while I was being a blacksmith in SAO.

"You see, there's this guy I like, but I told him to go for my best friend who also liked him. In front of him, I always smile. But when we split up, I always cry by myself. But then… well, something happened between them. But I still told him to wait for her. I guess I'm just strange like that"

"Why…?" the girl asked quietly, getting even more confused at my strange personality

"It's just my code" I answered her "Loving someone means that they would be willing to do anything for them. I want all my friends to be happy, even if it costs me my own happiness."

At this point, I was already laughing at how stupid I sounded. Here I was, in who knows where talking to some random girl about my own problems that she had no part of. But when I looked at her again, she seemed to be thinking deeply. I don't know about what, she could even be insulting me for all I cared, but for now I'll just go with the flow.

"What I'm trying to say is, if you have any problems, it'll be best if you go and tell them to someone you trust. If you don't have anyone you could trust, just talk to someone you've never met. They don't know you, you don't know them, but you'll still feel glad about it. If you keep sealing off your emotions, you'll come to regret it later on, like me"

"Thanks…?" the girl said as she gestured to me, probably asking for my name.

"Rika. Shinozaki Rika. But my friends call me Liz, short for Lisbeth" I said while shaking her extended hand

"Shino. Asada Shino" she replied quietly, probably wondering where the 'Lisbeth' thing came from.

"I hope I'll see you around, Shino. You're a very nice person, and pretty too!"

I got up and heard my phone's ringtone. Checking it, I saw that Kirito had sent me a text. Reading it quickly, it said that he wanted to talk with me in Agil's shop, Dicey Café. Apparently, Silica still wanted to see me at the Offline Meeting. My heart skipped a beat, wondering what he wanted to talk about. My mind started wondering if maybe, just maybe, it was a love confession.

No, not a love confession. Can't be.

I looked at Shino again and bid her farewell, but not before we traded phone numbers. I looked at her again. She looked so sad, so lost. I hope that I could help her out with whatever her problem was.

Little did I know that I will help her with Kirito's help, and she will also become one of my love rivals for Kirito's love.

I went back to the train station and sent a quick text to Kirito, telling him that I'll be there shortly. I would never get Kirito's love, and I was fine with it. As long as my friends were happy, I'll be happy as well. Sometimes, I might cry. But it will be worth it when I see their happy faces. I'll help Kirito get Asuna back, no matter what the cost. Hey, I bet I'll look nice wearing a dress during their wedding.

Well, I was right about one thing. When I arrived at Dicey Café and met all my friends again, it felt really nice to be among them again. Then I saw Kirito and walked up to him, smile still in place. I sat next to him and continued drinking. It took a while before Kirito finally looked up at me and talked.

"I'm sorry, Liz"

"Eh? What for?" was my confused response as I turned to look at him

"Well, I guess I was just a little too selfish. I was brooding so much over my own problems, I didn't realise it was hurting my other friends' feelings as well. So… yeah, sorry for worrying you"

I gave a small chuckle and turned back to my drink. Not a confession, I knew it. After all, I was plain ol' Lisbeth.

For the next few months, all three of us, that is to say Kirito, Silica and I, had scoured around in search of Asuna. Sometimes, if we were lucky, Klein and Agil helped out as well. It took a few months before we all finally gave in to the truth. The girl had disappeared from the world, never to be seen again. Kirito and Agil used all of their contacts to find out where Asuna lived, but it seemed like they had moved out. Obviously, Kirito was in a terrible mood afterwards.

After the events of the Death Gun incident had ended, we finally accepted Shino, or better known as Sinon into our group. She was kind, smart, honest, not to mention trustworthy. It came as no surprise when Kirito started falling for her charms. I was always there, backing him up. So I had failed once more to win him. Oh well, maybe third time's the charm.

Of course, I started to worry after that.

The two of them were beautiful together. They shared insight on things they both knew and always seemed to be able to keep up with the other. Yui, though, was still disheartened by Kirito's actions. To her, Asuna will always be her Mama. I did managed to persuade her to give Sinon a chance, and she did just that. All of a sudden, Yui loved hanging around Sinon. What could I say? Maybe the two of them were meant for each other. There was, however, one slight problem.

Long distance rarely ever worked.

After graduating, both Kirito and Sinon were accepted into prestigious colleges, both situated quite a distance away from where the two stayed. They had a nice, long chat about it, one that actually involved me having to give them my own opinions. In the end, the two decided to end their relationship, though they were still on good terms. I felt sorry for both of them. They were perfect for each other.

For the next few years, I was left all alone. Kirito would seldom come home, and when he did he was usually too busy with work to actually hang out like we used to. Sinon was also working hard. She needed to help support her family, after all. Even Kirito's sister, Lyfa, was going to become a kendo master. As for Silica… Well, she had apparently become an idol. I had no idea how THAT came up, but I had to agree with the record company; Silica's cute looks and sweet voice was amazing, unlike my own voice.

I was the black sheep, having to learn in a local engineering college. I have to say, being a female amongst most male engineering students does get pretty uncomfortable at times.

Five years later, Kirito had finally finished his education. On the day he returned to Japan, it was very heart-warming. No one else was able to make it. Silica and Sinon were abroad. Lyfa had classes to teach. Agil had to take care of his shop. Klein had to work. The only free person was me: Shinozaki Rika.

We hung out at a café for the first time in five years after that. It was very hard to catch up with each other, especially since we had five years of information to pass to each other. I tried to relay as much information I could to him. Asuna had reappeared, but she was now Sugou's beloved, brainwashed wife who was as business-oriented as the rest of her family. Kirito didn't really mind that, though. He had long since gotten over her.

He then asked something I was very surprised to hear.

"How about you? Have you ever gone out with any boys you like?"

I looked at him with sad eyes, but my mouth kept on smiling.

"No" I admitted, not even trying to cover up my embarrassment and my blushing cheeks "I just never met anyone better"

"Better?"

"Better than you" I said, taking a sip from my coffee "I tried to. Really, I did!"

Kirito smiled and finished his drink before inviting me over to his house to continue on with our storytelling session.

How long did the two of us stay as friends? Very. Very, very long.

It was six months, maybe even seven. All that time, I had remained single. Strangely enough, so did he. Of course, I made it a top priority to meet him after work to go hang out at Agil's café, just like old times. After a week or two, rumours started flying about. Imagine my embarrassment every time I walked into his office, waiting for him to be done with his work. What was even stranger was that I always wore casual clothes. A t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, sometimes a jacket. I never actually intended to dress up just for him. I was, after all, a simple girl and Kirito knew that. If I started doing anything drastic, he'll know something was up.

It was a normal day and the two of us were in Kirito's player home in ALfheim Online, playing around with Yui. Sure, the two of us had less time to actually go online, but we couldn't leave Yui all alone. Agil and Klein had too much work, Silica had a busy schedule, Lyfa had moved out and was rarely online when we were. At least Sinon was kind enough to find time in her own schedule to come and meet us, both online and off.

"Ne, Lisbeth" he asked me as the father-daughter dup lay on the ground

"Aye, Kirito" I responded, looking up from the stream I was trying (and failing) to fish from

"How long have we been friends?"

I racked my brain for a few minutes, trying to do the mental maths. In a second or two, thanks to my efficiency with numbers and a good memory I obtained from forging weapons and working as an engineer, I managed to answer him.

"We met at Aincrad on this very day, on 2023" I felt a little nostalgic when I realised it "That was six years ago"

"Ano… I… have something to tell you…"

I looked at him, who was sitting up and made a slight nod to his AI daughter. Yui nodded and gave a warm smile. She was in her human form, a form which used to only be shared between her and her parents. I wonder, when did she start using that form while I was with Kirito?

"I guess I'm just a little slow, and I never actually realised it. But Liz… you're amazing"

My head perked up and my heart skipped a beat. What was happening? Could it be? Was he really…?

"When I met you, six years ago, you became the first person I opened up to. You stood by me through thick and thin, and you never wavered. Even when you had your heart broken once, no, twice, you still stayed with me. You're strong, you're kind, you're fun to be around, you're thoughtful, but most of all, you're loyal. You are the most loyal person I have ever met, Liz"

"No, I'm not" I tried to deny it "Whenever you weren't around, I cried myself to sleep. I'm rude, I never think before I act, I get annoyed easily. I'm far from amazing, really"

"You're modest, too" Kirito smiled, making me blush a bright red colour

"What I'm trying to say is, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you around. When I saved you from falling into that hole and dying alone, I felt relieved. I thought that I was able to save this person's life, eventhough we weren't even friends at that time. We stayed together for a night and I found out a little bit more about you and your easy-going personality. I was glad to have met you"

"I kept our promise. I finished SAO using the sword you made me, but I broke it in the process. You did seem very angry when I told you, but you forgave me either way. You said that I had to pay for it, remember? Well, I never did pay for it, and I'm very aware of it. So this is my way of paying back, for everything you've done for me"

He walked up and sat next to me, my blush getting even more and more apparent, especially since the system likes over-exaggerating our emotions. He put an arm around my shoulder and held my hand in his free hand. We both locked gazes and he smiled kindly. I saw Yui smiling behind him and could guess that the two of them had already planned all this out.

"Lisbeth- no, Rika" I was stunned. He never used my real name, not even once. And he even jumped straight to use my given name "Will you… Will you be my girlfriend?"

Before anyone could react, I had logged out.

I took off my AmuSphere and ran straight for Kirito's house. Not even bothering with the traffic or other people's glances, I kept sprinting and sprinting. I had moved out of my parent s house and was living quite close to Kirito's house now, which was the same one as before since he had to take care of his mother. I burst in with the spare key Kirito entrusted me with, not even knocking and scaring his mother in the process. I should really apologise to her later.

When I reached the stairs, panting and gasping for air, I saw him, looking down the stairs with a bewildered expression. His eyes looked quite surprised, probably as to how I came here so fast. I saw his mouth open to say something, but before he even managed to do so, I had pounced him.

"Yes…" I said, tears streaming down my cheeks "Yes, Kiri…Kazuto. I would love to… After all this time… yes…"

I was practically on cloud nine. After all this time, waiting and continuously helping him, he had actually asked me out. HIM! _The_ Black Swordsman, Kirito. I couldn't stop crying, and at one point I started wailing. Kirito- No, Kazuto's mother came upstairs to see what all the commotion was all about. Needless to say, she was quite shocked to see her son hugging her so-called "future daughter-in-law" as I cried, caressing my back slowly as he told me that everything was fine.

Yes, everything was fine. It was very fine indeed.

We started dating after that, though I was still a little reserved. My mind kept telling me to be wary, since anything could happen. We took it slow, nice and slow. There was no rush, like his relationship with Asuna. Sinon had even given us her blessings, saying that she might have even broken up with Kirito when she thought about me. I scolded her good. No one should have ruined their happiness for me. To my surprise, she did say that she was happy, since two of her best friends, the two people who have helped her get back onto her feet after going through hell and back, were finally happily together.

"You said it yourself, remember? On the day we became friends?" Sinon said as she hugged both of us tightly "Loving someone means that they would be willing to do anything for them. You want all your friends to be happy, even if it costs you your own happiness"

Silica was actually glad to have heard the news. She and her fiancé, a man she had met while on tour, were always worried about me. They kept telling me to move on, to stop my own childish actions. But as time went on, as I recalled everything me and Kirito have gone through, they had a change of heart. They started supporting me, telling me to keep at it and try my best. Their words of encouragement always got me riled up the next time I met Kirito. I guess I showed them, huh?

"I was always hoping you two would get together" she told me "You never gave up on him, and you already sacrificed so much of your time just to make sure Kirito's happy. I could never have done what you went through, not in my life! Keep him safe" she reminded me

Two more years have passed since Kirito confessed to me, and I was actually quite surprised when I realised that I was the one standing at the altar next to him, with Silica and Sinon as my bridesmaids. Asuna was nowhere to be seen in the crowd, eventhough I had remembered to send her an invitation, but the event was still as beautiful as I could imagine. When I finally said those sacred words, "I do", and kissed him, it felt wonderful. After all, it was my first kiss. Throughout the two years that we dated, I never once kissed him. I guess I was just scared to, thinking that it was all over when our lips touched.

"Kirigaya Rika" I blushed at my new name as it rolled across Kazuto's tongue "you're the best thing that happened in my life"

"And the warmth of your hand" I told him, hugging him tighter and feeling his warmth flow to my body "is still the most real thing I could feel, both online and offline"

Maybe good things do happen to those who wait, or karma wasn't such a bitch after all. Who knows?

Life is funny like that.

* * *

**A/N Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! This is the extended version of the story, since the earlier one seemed EXTREMELY rushed and sort of strange. Well, enjoy~**


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